TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 102:23-28
You remain the same, and your years will never end. - Psalm 102:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, whose development of the program called aerobics won him worldwide fame, says life expectancy has grown dramatically over the past six decades. Cooper notes that although a child born in 1935 had a life expectancy of just 61.7 years, that figure has risen to almost 77 years today.

This increase in life span could cause some people to expect that someday, a 'miracle cure' for aging will be found and a lot of research is being dedicated to this. But God's Word never encourages His people to hang their ultimate hopes on the best the world can come up with. There is no denying the reality that life is short in comparison to eternity.

That's why we included today's passage in our seasons of faith study. It's a way of affirming that merely adding years to our lives is not really the point of it all. What matters is our relationship to the God whose years will never end.

For those of us who know the Lord as Savior, the assurance of the Bible is that we live every day in the presence and power of our eternal, unchangeable Father. Let's celebrate His promise and His strength together today.

It's interesting that the psalmist began this section with an honest admission that life is short, and sometimes painful. He even recognized that God had permitted the unnamed problem that made the writer feel as if his life were being cut short.

Despite his complaint, however, this anonymous believer knew where to go for help. He prayed for added days, a perfectly legitimate request. And to strengthen his prayer, the writer acknowledged that he was addressing the God whose eternal nature was in complete contrast to His creation.

This is a prayer of confidence, in spite of the writer's immediate circumstances. He is expressing his assurance that God is able to deal with his need. The length of our lives is not as important as their focus. In God's hands, we are safe forever.

Because the psalmist knew God would never change, he could look ahead and praise Him for His care of generations still to be born. An older believer who lives in this daily awareness of God's presence, and who can look at the future confidently, doesn't have to worry about a miracle cure for aging!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As Christians we should be living with a deep sense of daily expectancy because with God, there are no wasted days.

You can have this attitude no matter what your age or season of faith. We're not talking about 'a miracle a day to keep the devil away,' but a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's direction and a willingness to let God use us in any way He chooses. Would God have to compete for your time and attention today if He wanted to use you? It's a question worth thinking about.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Deuteronomy 6:5-9; 20-25
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. - Deuteronomy 6:6-7
TODAY IN THE WORD
A visitor to the hospital room of Dwight Eisenhower reported that at one point in their conversation, the former president who was near death raised up in his bed and declared, 'I still have something to say to the American people.' It was an expression of Eisenhower's desire to complete what he considered his legacy of leadership.

Every Christian has a legacy to complete too not only a personal and perhaps a family legacy, but a clearly defined body of truth to preserve and pass on to future generations. It's here that older believers in the final season of faith may make their most important contribution to the kingdom of God, and it's a good place to end this part of our study.

Don't let the familiarity of these classic verses in Deuteronomy 6 cause you to miss their solemn importance. There is no way to measure adequately the power of life-related teaching about God's truth by someone who is living it in front of his or her 'students.'

This kind of generational teaching begins in the home, and it is still the most effective kind of teaching when done consistently. Although older believers usually do not have their children or grandchildren living with them, they can form a tremendous 'second line' of teaching and example for the generations coming after them.

In verse 20 you'll see one reason a godly legacy is so effective. Moses assumes that some day the younger generation will ask, 'What does all of this mean?' That's when the older generation has a golden opportunity to explain God's goodness and faithfulness to them.

Notice that this includes a divine history lesson. Your story of God's leading and blessing ought to be a solid part of your family's story that every member knows and can recite.

But it goes beyond history. The older generation is instructed to tell the younger people about God commands, and to urge the younger to obey God and enjoy His blessing.

In other words, a spiritual legacy is not just a body of material about the past. It should help guide those coming behind us to walk in God's ways.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you ever considered preserving your personal and family spiritual 'story' so your children and grandchildren will have a solid foundation to build on?

If not, this might be a good time to begin writing down or recording the things you want to share with the younger generation. Or if you have an older believer in your family with a lot to share, offer to help him or her tell the story of God's faithfulness to them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Job 37:1-18
Let [us] give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds. - Psalm 107:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
We have covered a lot of ground this month talking about the seasons of faith. Over the past few weeks our studies have taken us through all four seasons of nature, and three basic stages or seasons of human life. Through it all we have tried to focus on one encompassing theme the Bible's teaching that no matter where we may be in our life of faith, God remains absolutely constant, faithful, and sovereign over all of life. For the final four days of September, we want to make a few more observations about this truth and what it means for us.

Today's reading may seem a little unusual, given the month's theme. But actually Job's friend Elihu, while trying to explain Job's tragic circumstances, made some great statements concerning God's sovereignty, using the seasons to make his point. One Bible commentator even calls this section 'God's sovereignty in winter' (vv. 1-13) and 'God's sovereignty in summer' (vv. 14-18).

The point is that God sends all of the seasons, and does so according to His agenda, not anyone else's. Since that is true in the natural world, we need to realize that our seasons of life and faith are also appointed by Him, for His own glory. This is not to say we can do nothing about our condition, but it's a needed reminder that God is always at work in our lives and it's His work that matters most.

Elihu chose the basic seasons of cold and hot to show that God works in majestic, mysterious, and marvelous ways among His creation. His purpose in this is that 'all men he has made may know his work' (v. 7).

Of course, Elihu wasn't trying to give Job a lesson in meteorology or any other occurrence in nature. Anyone who has ever taken shelter from an icy storm or sweltered on a still summer day knows how helpless we are to change the seasons and the days God has appointed.

That thought shouldn't upset us, though, because even in a trying or painful season of faith, God cares for us just as much as when things are rolling along. So today, let's 'stop and consider God's wonders' (v. 14). He chooses the seasons, but we belong to Him in every season.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
On September 1 we encouraged you to consider what season of faith you believe you are in right now.

Have things changed for you since then? Has God given you a promise, a warning, or a principle from the Word that is helping you live a stronger Christian life? Maybe you gained some new insight on an old problem, or discovered a new reason to praise God for His goodness. Whatever the case, why not take a few minutes to thank God for the timeless value of His Word?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Psalm 90:1-17
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Associated Press recently reported that Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania will soon offer its students a new minor in Civil War-era studies. The program will include study of the war's most famous battle, part of which took place on the school's 167-year-old campus. No one knows why the program hasn't been offered before, since the school has a war historian who runs its Civil War Institute. 'Doing a program on the Civil War at Gettysburg seemed eminently logical,' said one professor.

Knowing your own history is a good idea. We could even say that it's eminently biblical. Speaking on behalf of God's people, Moses prayed for God's insight on life not because he wanted to be a historian, but so he could live his days wisely.

Given the human condition in comparison to God's eternal nature and holiness, Moses' desire is right on target. God is eternal, the One whose changeless nature and righteous character we have been celebrating this month (vv. 1-2). To Him, even a thousand years are nothing.

In contrast, we are frail and sinful people, and even what's considered a full life span of eighty years passes quickly. Moses felt the consequences of sin being carried out in human life through a sense of moaning at the shortness and trouble and sorrow of life.

Moses wasn't being a pessimist or a complainer. His words are a reminder that death was not part of God's original creation and intention for the human race. God sets the years of our lives and our seasons of faith, but we can also look forward to the day when God will redeem His creation (see the September 30 study).

It's in this context that Moses prayed for wisdom. He also prayed that his days would be lived out under the smile of God's grace and compassion. And Moses wasn't just thinking of himself. His concern was that generations still unborn would learn of God's 'splendor' or glory.

In verse 14 we find the basis on which Moses could pray for God's favor. The Lord's 'unfailing love' is a solid foundation on which any believer can build a God-honoring life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
There's a written exercise we suggest occasionally that can help you number your days according to God's wisdom.

Make two columns on a piece of paper. In the left-hand column, list a few of your spiritual goals, the ways you want to be remembered, and some specifics of the spiritual heritage you want to leave your family. In the other column write down the things you are doing right now to reach these goals. The results should give you a pretty good idea of where you are, and what may need to happen to get you where you want to go.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 2:12-17
The man who does the will of God lives forever. - 1 John 2:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Thomas Jefferson arrived in France as U.S. ambassador in 1785, he called on the French minister for foreign affairs. 'You replace Monsieur Franklin?' asked the minister.

'I succeed him,' was the reply. 'No one can replace him.'

We would consider it a compliment if someone called us irreplaceable. In the spiritual sense, we are! No one else can step in and fulfill God's plan for us the way we can and that should be an encouragement to us in each of the seasons of faith. The value and importance of each person in God's family is obvious from today's reading. There is some debate about why John wrote to his audience this way. If he was thinking of chronological age, it seems odd that he would put fathers between children and young men not once, but twice. It could be that he was speaking to believers in various stages of spiritual life without trying to be chronologically exact.

The message is clear in any case. John actually uses two different terms for 'children.' In verse 12 the word could be translated 'infants,' while verse 13 refers to children who are under instruction. For believers in this stage of life, knowing that their sins are forgiven and that they have a heavenly Father are emphasized truth the writer of Hebrews called 'the elementary teachings about Christ' (Heb. 6:1).

Spiritual parents, those in the mature years, have passed from basic knowledge of God to what John Stott calls a 'deep communion with the Father.' The message to these people is the same in each case, with the emphasis on the maturity of their faith and the implied leadership this gives them in the church.

The 'young men' are described as strong and vigorous and right in the thick of spiritual warfare. Youth is a season of faith in which we often fight the battles that deepen and strengthen our faith and prepare us for spiritual leadership.

The final three verses of this text show us why we need to be at our best in each season of faith. The world is always exerting its downward pull on us, throwing lust and pride in our way. But through His salvation, the daily fellowship He offers us, and the strength He provides, God has given us everything we need to win over the world.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The verse for today gives us a great word of promise and assurance that God is pleased by our commitment to be faithful to Him.

Someone has said that as Christians, we are 'immortal in the will of God.' Maybe the author of that quote got the idea from 1 John 2:17. Jesus taught us to pray that God's will would be done on earth (Matt. 6:10). Today, let's make ourselves available to Him for the accomplishment of His will in our lives.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 21:1-7
He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new! -
TODAY IN THE WORD
America was so deeply mired in the Great Depression by 1932 that the presidential campaign that year had a very somber tone to it. After his election, Franklin Roosevelt was told by a friend that if he succeeded as president, he would go down as one of the greatest American presidents ever. But if he failed, Roosevelt's friend said, he would be known as the worst president. Roosevelt responded solemnly, 'If I fail, I shall be the last one.'

It was obvious to most people that America needed some new ideas and new energy, and the Roosevelt administration's eventual answer to the problem was the New Deal. There have been countless 'new deals' in the decades since but only God has a new plan that is going to fix what is wrong with this world.

It seems appropriate to finish the month by reviewing God's promise of a new creation. Heaven is the place where our seasons of faith actually come to an end, because in God's presence faith is replaced by sight.

It's hard even to imagine what the new heaven and new earth will be like. John says that God will sweep the old, sin-marred creation away, doing such a complete renovation that nothing from the old will survive including the sin and suffering and sorrow that can overwhelm us.

What an encouragement to know that our faith is taking us somewhere. We're not told just to hang in there until some vague point in the future. God is preparing an eternal city for us, and soon the announcement will come, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them' (v. 3).

When God brings about the final details of His eternal plan, there won't be any more dark season of pain or despair. No more parched season of spiritual dryness, because we will drink from 'the spring of the water of life' (v. 7). And any trace of doubt will be erased.

Do you need encouragement today in your season of faith? God's Word has more than enough. His promises are 'trustworthy and true' (v. 5), and He commanded John to write them down for our blessing and benefit. We are finishing the month at the right place at the feet of our great God whose eternal glory makes all of our seasons worth living.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Is there something that needs to be made new in your life? Maybe you sense the need for a new freshness in your relationship with Christ, or a renewed commitment to serve Him in some area. Whatever is on your heart, bring it to your Father today and ask Him to give you a new season of faith. And if you are enjoying a period of real spiritual refreshment and strength right now, pray that God will help you to keep your eyes and your heart focused clearly on Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 18:1-17; 2 Corinthians 1:1-2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - 2 Corinthians 1:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
A recent report in the Los Angeles Times names Lanzhou, a city in China, ""the world's most polluted city."" The World Resources Institute surveyed this city of two million people in western China and found that coal smoke, car exhaust, and dust from the arid yellow mountains combine to make breathing the air in Lanzhou as harmful as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

Replace environmental pollution with moral filth, and you have an accurate picture of the conditions in ancient Corinth--a city in which the apostle Paul established a church on his second missionary journey. Several hundred years before Paul, Greek writers complained about Corinth's moral degradation. The city was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C. and rebuilt a century later. But the new Corinth wasn't much of an improvement.

Paul poured a lot of time, prayers, and tears into the church at Corinth. These believers tested Paul's --and God's--patienceto the limit. God had disciplined some of the members with illness, and even death, for their unholy behavior at the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:30).

Besides this, the church not only tolerated a case of incest in its midst, but it became a source of perverse pride (1 Cor. 5:1-2)! Paul didn't see anything to brag about. He turned the offender over to Satan for severe discipline (vv. 4-5).

In fact, this sordid case may have been one of the things that led Paul to write 2 Corinthians, the book we will study this month. The church imposed discipline on the man and he repented. But instead of pulling back, the church was on the verge of driving him to despair (2 Cor. 2:5-7). So Paul had to urge the Corinthians to accept him back into fellowship.

Paul had a long relationship with the believers in Corinth. It began when he spent eighteen months there establishing the church. The place was such a hotbed of paganism and opposition to the gospel that God appeared to Paul in a vision one night to reassure him (Acts 18:9).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In a previous study of 2 Corinthians in Today (May 1991), we offered the following outline of the book's flow of thought:

God's Comfort (1:1-11)

Paul's Integrity (1:12--2:11)

Paul's Ministry (2:12--6:10)

Paul's Appeals (6:11--7:4)

Paul's Comfort and Joy (7:5-16)

Paul's Teaching on Giving (8:1--9:15)

Paul's Vindication (10:1--12:18)

Final Exhortations (12:19--13:10)

Benediction (13:11-14)

Since we'll be following this outline again, you may want to refer back to it often as we go along. Why not mark this page for easy reference?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. - 2 Corinthians 1:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
Hymnwriter Frances Ridley Havergal lived only forty-two years, but her influence is still felt today. Her most famous hymn, ""Take My Life and Let It Be,"" written in 1874, has inspired many Christians to devote themselves to the Lord's service. God also used Frances Havergal's inspiring hymns to comfort her as death approached in 1879. Shortly before she died of a lingering illness, Havergal was heard faintly singing one of the sixty hymns she had written.

Paul knew something about God's comfort in the face of serious circumstances. The apostle wanted his spiritual children at Corinth (see 1 Cor. 4:15) to know that God had delivered him from the unnamed ""hardships"" he had suffered (2 Cor. 1:.

We don't know exactly what these problems were, but the readers apparently did. Whatever had happened, Paul came to believe he was near death. But God had delivered Paul from this ""deadly peril,"" which could have been a life-threatening illness, and he was thankful for God's mercy.

Paul's concern, though, wasn't just for himself. He knew that as an apostle of Jesus Christ sent to Gentile believers like the Corinthians, his life was being poured out on their behalf. Paul's troubles were linked to the sufferings of Christ for His church in such a way that the Corinthians and others benefited from Paul's hardships.

In other words, when Paul suffered it was because of his ministry to the church (v. 6). Even though the church at Corinth had caused him a lot of grief, Paul was deeply concerned for their well-being. He wanted nothing more for them than to be strengthened and encouraged in their faith by hearing about how God had come to his aid.

There was no question about the source of Paul's deep-seated comfort even in the face of death. He points us directly to our caring heavenly Father, the One ""who comforts us in all our troubles"" (v. 4). God's comfort is not just a slap on the back and a few reassuring words. It is a settled conviction that whatever the outcome of a situation, we are safe in His hands.

This kind of peace comes from the Holy Spirit who lives within us, and it's meant to be shared with others (v. 4).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In a previous study of 2 Corinthians in Today (May 1991), we offered the following outline of the book's flow of thought:

God's Comfort (1:1-11)

Paul's Integrity (1:12--2:11)Paul used the word comfort at least nine times in verses 3-7 of today's text.

This is the same word Jesus used the night before His crucifixion to describe the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26). As Christians who have the Spirit living within us, we are never left alone in the hard times. If you are facing a situation in which you need God's comfort, thank Him for His faithful presence, and ask Him to make His peace real to you today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 1:12-24
No matter how many promises God has made, they are ""Yes"" in Christ. - 2 Corinthians 1:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
Earlier this year three World War I veterans from New Mexico were awarded France's highest honor, the National Order of the Legion of Honor. The men--ages 103, 100, and 98!--were given their awards by the French Consul General during a ceremony in Albuquerque, at which the official said, ""The French have not forgotten the bravery of these young soldiers."" The brief news article announcing the event did not explain why it took more than eighty years for the awards to be presented.

Stories like this leave us in the dark as to how these things can happen. Sure, people can be forgetful, records can be misplaced, and good intentions can be interrupted. But eight decades is a long time to leave a loose end untied.

Paul wanted to secure any loose ends that appeared in his relationship with the Corinthians due to his change in plans to visit Corinth. It became a bigger issue than simply a change in Paul's travel itinerary. The incident led to an accusation against the apostle, and an opportunity for him to vindicate himself and his ministry.

Although Paul's relationship with the Corinthians was basically restored after a difficult period of strong discipline, there were still some in Corinth who opposed Paul and wanted to discredit him. Later in his letter Paul called them ""false apostles, deceitful workmen"" (2 Cor. 11:13).

Evidently, these people charged that Paul's change in plans proved that he was fickle, unreliable, and even unspiritual--a person who talked out of both sides of his mouth. As Paul answered that attack on his integrity, he gave us a tremendous statement of assurance that our faith in Christ is rock-solid.

Paul's defense began with a reminder to the Corinthians that both in person and in his writings, he had always acted out of holy and sincere motives. Nothing less than full integrity, Paul went on to say, was worthy of one who served a God whose promises are totally trustworthy.

Verses 20-22 contain one of the finest statements in the New Testament about our security in Christ. We are secure in our salvation because God is the One who makes us stand firm. We belong to Him, and the Holy Spirit's presence in our hearts is God's guarantee of the future.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In a previous study of 2 Corinthians in Today (May 1991), we offered the following outline of the book's flow of thought:Do you ever have doubts about your salvation? If so, you're among the majority because doubt is a common experience.

But you shouldn't allow moments of doubt to hinder your daily walk with the Lord. If you're a doubter, mark verses 20-22 of today's passage and read them regularly along with your daily Bible study. And if you need more assurance, add Ephesians 1:13-14 to your list, noticing in particular that Paul says the Holy Spirit guarantees our future redemption.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:1-11
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
Some of America's old baseball parks have what are called ""obstructed view"" seats behind a supporting pole in the stadium. These tickets don't cost as much as box seats, but they interfere with the fan's view of the action on the field.

There's a spiritual counterpart to these obstructed view seats. Satan is always trying to get us into the ""cheap seats,"" so to speak. He specializes in blocking our view of God and interfering with our participation in the spiritual action. We have an example of his strategy in today's reading, another section of intensely personal communication between Paul and his spiritual children in Corinth.

Someone in the church there had accused Paul of being unreliable for changing his mind about coming back to Corinth. But his reason was to spare the church further grief (1:23-24), because he had already made one visit that turned out to be ""painful"" (2:1).

What was going on here, and what can we learn from it? It seems someone in Corinth had sinned, but the church saw no reason to take action. Whether this was the case of incest (1 Cor. 5:1-11) is debatable, but the point is that Paul had to write the so-called severe letter (2 Cor. 2:4) to deal with the problem. This letter, written between 1 and 2 Corinthians, did not survive, meaning God did not intend it to be part of Scripture.

Beyond this sin and the need for discipline, the issue was the Corinthians' obedience to Paul as God's representative (v. 9). After receiving Paul's letter, the church went into action and disciplined the offender--too severely, as it turned out. The man had repented, but the church kept turning the screws. So Paul had to urge them to restore this brother.

There are some great lessons here for the increasingly rare ministry of proper church discipline. But it's in verse 11 that we uncover the source of this upsetting incident. At the bottom of sin or turmoil in the church, Satan is working his schemes. Failure to deal with the problem gives him a foothold in our individual lives, and in the fellowship of believers.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul said concerning Satan and his tricks, ""We are not unaware of his schemes.""

We need to ask ourselves today whether we can say the same thing. For example, do you have a good idea of your spiritual weak points--the places where Satan is most likely to attack you? Are you aware of the methods, situations, or even people, the enemy likes to use to trip you up? If so, you're a long way toward fulfilling the command of today's verse. Remember, Satan studies us, so let's be on guard against him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ. - 2 Corinthians 2:14
TODAY IN THE WORD
General Douglas MacArthur returned to the United States in the spring of 1951 after being relieved of his command in Korea by President Harry Truman. Despite this, MacArthur was greeted as a conquering hero on his return home. It was the general's first time back in America since 1937, and his welcome included a spectacular ticker-tape parade in New York City.

Triumphal processions for military heroes predate the New Testament. They were used by the Romans to welcome home a conquering general, allowing him to display his captives and the spoils of victory. This is the imagery Paul drew on to describe the ministry of the gospel.

You may have noticed that verse 14 is an abrupt change in Paul's train of thought. He was explaining why he had changed his mind about paying another visit to Corinth, and why he was distressed at the failure of Titus to meet him in Troas. Paul had sent Titus to Corinth with the ""severe"" letter, reprimanding the church for its failure to deal with sin.

Naturally, Paul was anxious to hear from Titus how this difficult letter had been received. So anxious, in fact, that Paul could not concentrate on his ministry in Troas. He went on to Macedonia to meet Titus (see 2 Cor. 7:5-6).

At this point Paul must have felt anything but triumphant. He says later he was ""persecuted"" and ""struck down"" (2 Cor. 4:9). But then in the middle of his distress, Paul lifted his eyes to Jesus Christ, the ""conquering general"" leading the procession in which Paul gladly considered himself a captive.

Considering Christ and His victory so captured Paul's mind and heart that he began one of the long digressions for which his letters are famous. This is one of the longest of Paul's interludes (he doesn't pick up his story about Macedonia until 7:5!), and it begins in a glorious way with the victory of Christ over all His opponents.

And here's the best news. This is not a first-century parade that has passed you by! As a believer in Christ, you share in His triumph over sin, death, and Satan--because you too, like Paul, are a ""prisoner"" of Christ (Eph. 3:1).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
When Paul considered what he had in Christ, and the ministry Christ had given him of spreading the gospel, he asked, ""Who is equal to such a task?"" (2 Cor. 2:16).

You've probably asked yourself the same thing from time to time. It's a good question to ask, because, even though we aren't apostles, we share in the ministry of telling others about Jesus Christ. Is there someone you know who needs to hear about Christ? Do you feel inadequate to the task? Paul provided a remedy when he wrote, ""Our competence comes from God"" (2 Cor. 3:5). Claim God's strength today, and tell someone about Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:1-11
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant. - 2 Corinthians 3:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
A Brazilian man who came to visit relatives in Philadelphia earlier this year brought with him two paintings he had acquired in Brazil as payment on a debt. When the man took them to a Philadelphia art gallery to be appraised, he got a surprise. The gallery ran a check and learned that the two paintings, by famous American artist Norman Rockwell, were among seven Rockwell works stolen from a gallery in Minneapolis in 1978. It's not clear how the stolen paintings--worth $175ꯠ--ended up in Brazil, but the man who held them was not charged.

This story illustrates one aspect of the ministry of the gospel, called the ""new covenant"" in today's reading. The salvation Jesus Christ provided for us is a lot more valuable, more glorious, than we sometimes realize. Paul considered this ministry so valuable that even though there were false teachers in Corinth trying to discredit him, the Corinthians themselves were undeniable proof of his ministry.

Paul could speak so confidently not because of himself and his abilities, but because of what God had done. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God had replaced the old covenant of the Mosaic law with the new covenant of the gospel. And He had appointed Paul as an apostle and messenger of this new covenant.

Maybe one reason we don't always value our salvation as we should is that we never had to live under the old system. Let's not misunderstand. There was nothing wrong with God's law. It was perfect, just like God. The problem was with the imperfect people who tried to keep the law.

The reason the law brought death is that it required perfect obedience. Since no one but Jesus has ever obeyed God's law perfectly, every human being stands condemned under God's righteous judgment.

But the gospel has something the law lacks: the power to give life. When we put our faith in Christ's saving work on the cross, the Holy Spirit gives us new life. This life is also eternal, whereas the law was designed to be temporary, ""fading away"" (v. 11) when Jesus met its demands and opened a new way of salvation for us. That's something worth calling glorious!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's lesson suggests an interesting paradox about the Christian life.

Although the gospel is glorious beyond any comparison, God doesn't display that glory by sending flashes across the sky or shining bright lights from heaven. We are the only reflection of God's glory the world will ever see in these days before Christ returns (2 Cor. 3:18). This raises a question we need to meditate on today. As people around you look at you, how much of Christ do they see?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. - 2 Corinthians 3:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
Thanks to a salvage effort by the National Park Service this summer, America's tallest and most famous lighthouse has a safe new home. The 208-foot-tall Cape Hatteras lighthouse

had guided ships in the treacherous waters off North Carolina's Atlantic coast for more than a century. But the eroding coastline threatened the historic tower, so it has been moved

1길 feet further inland. Because of electronic and satellite navigation, the lighthouse's beacon was seldom used anyway, so officials decided it was time to rescue the historic tower.

In one sense, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse can be compared to the law of Moses after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We could say that the ""glory"" of the old lighthouse

has faded away because modern ships no longer need its beacon light to guide them safely among the rocks. There was nothing wrong with the lighthouse at Cape Hatteras. It has

simply been replaced by a superior system. The same is true of Moses' law.

We are in the middle of Paul's argument for the superiority of the new covenant over the old. The apostle had been writing to the Corinthians about his circumstances in relation to

them.

But he suddenly interrupted himself to talk about the triumphs, and the trials, of being a minister of Jesus Christ (2:12--6:10, see the outline in the October 1 study).

These verses may be a digression, but they are a wonderful part of Scripture. We will see deeply into Paul's heart as a servant of Christ and a spiritual father, and the lessons are

powerful.

The apostle loved nothing better than talking about Christ and His glorious gospel. As a Jew who had once been a fanatic defender of his religion, Paul understood the radical

difference the gospel made. The Mosaic system was meant to be temporary (v. 11), in a sense like the fading glow on Moses' face.

The problem is that while Moses' veil was physical, the majority of Jewish people now still have a spiritual veil over their hearts. This prevents them from seeing Christ as their

Messiah and the fulfillment of the law. But when a person turns to Christ, the light goes on and the truth becomes clear.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It's frustrating to try and understand something when you just can't seem to get the picture. But it's great when someone

comes along to explain everything in crystal-clear terms.

That's what happened to us when the Holy Spirit graciously turned the light on in our hearts so we could see the truth of

the gospel. Without the Spirit's illuminating, liberating work, every Christian would still be in spiritual darkness and

bondage. When was the last time you stopped to praise and thank God for His glorious salvation? Make it a priority today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. - 2 Corinthians 4:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
In a fascinating story last July, the Associated Press reported on the failure of a NASA spacecraft called Deep Space 1 to accomplish part of its objective, which was to take close-up pictures of an asteroid. The craft came within fifteen miles of the orbiting rock, but apparently misaimed its camera during the flyby and failed to capture any close-ups of the asteroid.

Imagine going to all the expense--$152 million, according to the report--of launching a spacecraft that traveled for months to reach its target, only to miss it at the crucial moment.

There's a spiritual parallel here, only on a much greater scale. Imagine hearing the glorious gospel of Christ--coming so close to salvation, as it were--only to be blinded by Satan at the crucial moment and miss out on eternal life. That's what happens many times to unbelievers when they hear the gospel.

Paul wrote about the veil of unbelief that hangs over the hearts of the Jewish people who reject Jesus as Messiah. Here he says this spiritual fog extends to all unbelievers who fail to see the light of the gospel and believe.

Why did the apostle discuss the fact that the gospel is a mystery to lost people? He was, in part, answering one of the charges leveled against him by the false teachers in Corinth.

These men worked for the wrong motive--money. They ""peddle[d] the word of God for profit"" (2:17), like the traveling medicine shows in those old Western films. To deflect the believers' attention from their greed, they accused Paul of having the self-serving motive.

Paul set the record straight. Even though battling people like these was one of the reasons Paul sometimes became weary and discouraged, God gave him strength to continue. If unbelievers misunderstood and rejected the gospel, it wasn't because Paul distorted it.

Paul preached Christ, not self. Therefore, he had nothing to hide. The proof of his ministry was those who saw the glory of God ""in the face of Christ"" (v. 6) and believed.

These verses are a tremendous statement of the way ministry is meant to be conducted, whether collectively or personally.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you belong to a church where the Word of God is taught with integrity and sincerity of motive, you are a blessed Christian.

Since today is the start of the weekend, why not take a few minutes to write your pastor, Sunday school teacher, and other spiritual leaders a note of encouragement to give them this Sunday? Be as specific as you can in describing the ways their ministries have blessed your life and that of your family. And be sure to let these special people know you are praying for them. You can pray for them right now, in fact.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. - 2 Corinthians 4:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is called ""the father of modern hymn writing."" The church will be singing Watts's hymns until Jesus returns. This son of a British schoolmaster was also a theologian who became pastor of a church in a London suburb in 1702. But even though Watts was young, his health was frail. This prompted the church to hire an assistant who preached when Watts was ill. These periods of sickness when Watts had to leave his pulpit gave him extra time for writing.

Frail, sickly Isaac Watts was definitely one of God ""jars of clay"" through whom He accomplished great things. God loves to use ""cracked pots,"" as one writer paraphrases Paul's famous term. It's clear that He gets the glory when the work is done through people who know they are not serving in their own power. We may not always like to hear it, but the Bible teaches that our suffering allows God to reveal His power.

Paul himself is Exhibit A of this truth. At this point in his life, Paul felt like his ""jar of clay"" was about as weak as it could get. He was being boxed in, pressed down, and shaken up by the perils and people who were a threat to his ministry. He also lived under the threat of death almost from the day he became a Christian (Acts 9:29-30).

Paul was down, but not out. Four times he used the phrase ""but not"" after listing his troubles (vv. 8-9). Neither Satan nor his hitmen could put the apostle away, because God was his source of power and ultimate protection.

But the paradox of the ministry is that Paul's fragile, battered body was also the vehicle through which God revealed the glory and the life of Jesus Christ. Earlier we said that Paul gladly acknowledged himself as the prisoner, the captive, of Jesus Christ. The apostle also called himself Christ's ""servant"" (Rom. 1:1), a term that is also translated ""slave.""

Here's the point. When you're someone else's captive or slave, your life isn't yours anymore. You belong to your master. That's how Paul felt in relation to Christ, which meant that he had already given up his right to run his life. Whatever Christ wanted for him, whether life or death, was fine with Paul.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Whose captive are you?

You may say, ""I'm my own person."" But the Bible says we are either ""slaves to sin, which leads to death, or [slaves] to obedience, which leads to righteousness"" (Rom. 6:16). That's another way of saying we either belong to God through faith in Christ, or we are still under the death penalty of sin. This is the most important decision you could ever make--so if you have any doubt about your salvation, seek out your pastor or a trusted Christian friend and get the issue settled this weekend.